R.S.A.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17349, 14 May 1924, Page 11

R.S.A.

CANTERBURY DISTRICT. ANNUAL CONFERENCE. The annual conference of the Canterbury District Council of the New Zealand Returned Soliders’ Association was held in Christchurch to-day. The chairman. Mr R. B. Bell (Timaru) presided and the following delegates were also present:—Colonel H. Stewart and Messrs E. Orchard and AA T . W. Fulton (Christchurch), A. H. M’Kane (Gveyrnouth), D O’Connor (Temuka), F. A. Hioknan (Ashburton), G. AV. Lloyd (AVaimote). AV. H. Slark (Kaiapoi), and AY. E. Lead ley (secretary). Tho chairman, in welcoming the delegates, said that the agenda, paper was very small—the smallest in the history of the district. There were very few remits. 4'hat did not. mean that the work was lighter than it had been in the past, but rather called attention to the fact that the main principles had been dealt with previously and most- of them agreed upon. Their work now

consisted mostly of dealing with individual cases. The most important question that had to he considered was the proposed re-organisation of the association. For the past five years the work or the association had been conducted on a district, basis, the districts consisting of Auckland, Wellington, NeleonMarlborough, Canterbury and Otago. Local branches appointed delegates to the district councils and the district councils appointed delegates to the Dominion conference. He had always opposed the district scheme 'personally, but the Canterbury district as « whole had supported it in the past. The scheme had certain merits but the cost of maintaining the organisation did not appear, with the declining membership, to be warranted. He had noticed that the Wellington and Otago distircts had decided against the district scheme. It was certain that it would I>© abolished if the Canterbury branch also opposed it. Prior to the district scheme being inaugurated, the annual conference consisted of about sixty delegates and was a most unwieldy body. The district scheme had reduced the size of the conference and as such had had good results. ITe would not like to see the Dominion conference become so large again. Certain remedies had been suggested by the Dominion executive and local branches were asked to consider these suggestions. The chairman added that he thought he could say that the Canterbury district had helped the interests of returned soldiers troughout the Dominion as well as looking after the affairs in its own district. As a member of the Dominion executive representing Wellington for three years and later Canterbury for the past two years, it was his opinion that the Canterbury district had done more constructive w T ork and done more to shape the policy of the association than any other district in the Dominion. PENSION MATTERS. Colonel- tote ware moved, on Dehalf of the Um is tenure n branch:—"That the px’a«#Cice ot tue I'ensions -Department m senumg a policeman to .inatve inquiries in connection v\ itti economic pensions be discontinued, and that an omeer oi Hie -t ensions nqaitment be appointed to do this AvorK. The mover said that it had been the practice tor policemen to.make inquiries m uniform. Jt hacl been urged that they should go round m plain clothes, but there were ditncuities in that connection, and the branch considered that officers of the Pensions Department should undertake the ciuty. The remit was seconded by Mr Lloyd and carried. The following Christchurch remit was moved by Colonel tote" art That thfi It.S.A. .urge the Government to do away with the economic pension, and to raise the ordinary pension to £3 10s per week pro rata, and that until this is given ehect to the economic pension be granted independent of tho ordinary pension.” He said that the main thing was that the economic pension vas not working out to the advantage of returned soldiers. Air Orchard, in seconding the motion, said that the trouble was that the Act was not being administered sympathetically. 'Hie cuairman said he was not satisfied that because the Department was not administering the economic pension satisfactorily from tho point of view of the conference, that the economic pension should be done away with at Lhis stage. It seemed a& tnougn they would be working too rapidly if they uo>\ asked lor it to be swept- a wav He thought they should wait a little longer, and see if they could improve the administration of the Act. He moved as an amendment that the first portion should be deleted, and that the following remain :—“ That the economic pension be granted independent ot the amount of the ordinarv pension.”

seconded the amendment. After discussion. the amendment was declared earned by six votes m Later in the meeting, the chairman gave notice to move that ihe motion be recommitted. Mr Orchard moved: ‘That the R..S.A. urg© the Government to give a i .B. soldier a permanent pension for his permanent disability until such i i.ino as a cure is found for T. 8.” f stated that T.B. was a permanent disability, and that the pension should mot, be of a temporary nature. mit had been received by the Christchurch branch from a meeting of T.B. soldiers held in Christchurch recently. He was of opinion that the Avoiding of tli.- remit was very vague, and .suggested that i.t bo amended in the direction of recommending the Dominion conference to revic’AV the question of the leg is iation affecting the oensious «■ ranted to T.B. soldiers. Mr Leadlpy said that doctors were not satisfied ihat T.B. was a perm an • tnt disability. The present procedure Avas that when a man came out of a sanatorium lie Avas granted a full pension for twelve months, after which his pension came up for review. Air Stark moved an amendment along the lines suggested fov Oolbnel Stewart. 'J his Avas seconded by Air O'Connor end carried. Mr -Orchard moA-ed . “That the patients, on discharge from the Ouevu Alary Hospital. Hammer Springs, be granted a full pension until such time as the medical report has been considi ered by the Bern ions Department-, hut | iu all eases the patient to receive at | least two months’ full pension after | his discharge from Hanmer.’’ ( Air Lloyd, in seconding ihe motion. I said that the position at Hanmer was \ that, no matter what disability a man / suffered from "hen he went into that , hospital, he reverted tc his former pension immediately he was discharged. . In some upases the pension was only 1 3Os a AA-cek, and it usually took sonic j time for the results of the exnmina- ' firms to reach the War Pensions Board. A'ery few of the men Averc fit to return i to Avork immediate!j- on discharge and , ho thought that the association should \ put up a, light on their behalf. ! Tho remit was amended to include ‘ the St — George Hospital at Rotorua as

well as the Queen Alary H< spital, and "a:, carried. On the motion of Colonel St©"art, ’seconded by Mr Orchard, it was resolved to endorse the following Canterbury remit. :“That this annual general meeting of the Christchurch R.S.A. expresses its profound dissatisfaction with the action of the War Pensions Board in overriding in certain particular cases, the decisions of t-he Mar Pensions Appeal Board: thus involving the appellant© in additional and unnecessary hardship. Jt urges that headquarters of the N.Z.R.S.A. should make the necessary representations to the Government, to ensure that the decisions of the War Pensions Appeal Board shall he given immediate effect to in every case.” It Avas decided to urge that returned soldiers should be given special representation on land boards. V N EMPLOYMEN T. The following Christchurch remits Aver© carried :—-“That the. attention of the Government b© again drawn to the fact that there is .still a largo number of disabled soldiers capable of filling positions as clerks, litfmen, caretakers, messengers ,crossing keepers, etc. who are unemployed, and that a special endeavour bo made by the Public Service Commissioner to place these men in suitable employment in the Government service.'’ 2. “That the Government be requested to give more attention to the after care of T.B. and neurasthenic soldiers, anti that more suitable avenues of light employment be opened up for these POPPY DAY K Air Hickman moved on behalf of tho Ashburton branch:-—“That the Canterbury District Conference is of the opinion that poppies should he manufactured in Now Zealand, and that tho total proceeds of Poppy Day should bo retained in New Zealand.” Air Lead ley said that the Dominion executive had entered into a contract with the French people for the supply of poppies until 1925. The chairman said that at present the money paid for the poppies went to people in the devastated parts of France, and he thought it would lie a pity to deprive them of the benefit they gained from the sale of poppies. The remit was lost IMMIGRATION. Tho following Christchurch remits to be adopted as a basis for a. discussion on the immigration question at the Dominion conference were moved by Air Orchard:—l. “That this conference is of the opinion that the immigration of ex-service men from Great Britain -will bo ef considerable benefit to the Dominion.” 2. “That in order to encourage such immigration the Government be urged to (a) Acquire farming land which is not at present beign utilised to its full productiv? capacity, (b) Throw open more Crown land for settlement. (c) Negotiate with the Imperial Government with a view to obtaining financial assistance for suitable settlers from Great Britain on tho land, (d) Grant free passages to the Dominion to tho children of ex-imperial soldiers desirous of obtaining positions on New Zealand farms, (e) Appoint Immigration Committees in each of the large centres to work in conjunction with the Im migration Department. AVeUington. such committees to find employment for immigrants who are not farmers.” (Proceeding.)